


Reckless

by overworkedunderwhelmed



Series: Drabbles Gone Rogue [4]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: A Kiss, Bad Moves, F/M, Fluff and Angst, LadyNoir - Freeform, Ladynoir July, Rescues, Unnecessary Puns, because I am a sap, then more fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-30
Updated: 2017-09-30
Packaged: 2019-01-07 08:43:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12229488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/overworkedunderwhelmed/pseuds/overworkedunderwhelmed
Summary: As he hurtled back towards the ground,  he couldn't help the rueful smile.  This probably wasn't quite what people meant when the spoke of falling for someone.





	1. (Spiderman) Kiss

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally posted as chapters 13, 14, and 19 of The Night Patrol as part of the LadyNoirJuly2017 Challenge, the Day 13: (Spiderman) Kiss prompt, the Day 14: Accident prompt, and the  
> Day 19: Eiffel Tower prompt. All are now collected here for reading convenience per reader request. Original chapter breaks have also been retained by request.

Chat Noir dangled upside down after a mid-air catch, suspended by little more than a magically enhanced thread. 

That was nothing unusual.

That rapid descent, feeling the fullest force of gravity beckoning him back to earth. 

Been there, done that.

The not-so-subtle fear clawing at his mind and icing his veins as towards he hurtled toward the ground, the chill of the wind whipping sharply into his face. All because he’d tossed his baton away to save his Lady.

Sure, it had given him a nasty case of _high_ anxiety, but that very thing had happened on a fair few occasions over the past few months.

But the peck on the cheek she had given him?

That? Well, that definitely was new.

The shock and terror of the fall hadn’t left him breathless. But her kiss definitely had.

His eyes had been closed at the time. After that close of a call, he'd been tempted to whistle, trying not to focus on how dire it had been.

For a fleeting moment, he thought he had imagined the soft press of her lips against his cheek.

But when his eyes had popped open, her scent and her warmth had lingered.

Ladybug had blushed. “Of all the stupid, reckless things to do…” She’d trailed off, her fingers hovering over her earrings.

Hie feline night vision wasn’t perfect, but it was clear enough to see the soft pink welling to her cheeks. To spot to growing panic in her eyes..

Well…” she murmured, reeling him slowly drop to the ground. “I’d love to stay and hang around and all…”

Chat Noir still sat on the ground, gaping. His claw hovered above his cheek savoring the warmth that seemed to linger there. Whether it was here or his, he still wasn't sure.

He was helpless to do anything else but watch her leap from building to build until he’d lost sight of her. 

His heart clenched, smiling softly as he'd clawed his way back up to the roof. 

He was never more certain that he was just as enamored with all the hard won grace she had earned over the past few months as he had been for her clumsy, tentative first steps into superhero-ism.

* * *

He had to wait three long, sleepless nights later for the next Akuma to attack.

Chat could hardly keep from blushing at the memory wondering if he had imagined the softness and warmth. He rather desperately hoped for a repeat performance to confirm the memory was in fact very real.

Ladybug had gone strangely silent in the wake of their normal post-Akuma celebratory fist bump. 

Smiling softly, he had leaned towards her in breathless anticipation. What would she say? What would she do? 

Those distressingly blue eyes had met his for an instant before they darted away, as if she were being chased by a whole Kaleidoscope of Akumatized butterflies.

Wincing, he let his claws fall away. They both had braved so much together, fighting side by side. 

A growing part of him had grown selfish, willing her to stare him down as she had any of the Akuma they’d faced down. Fearless. Bold.

Instead, she bit her lip, tugging the soft skin with her teeth for only a spare moment. 

His claws, grazed the base of his neck, his lips pressing together tightly. Why was it that he was frightening her now? 

“I...Goodnight, Chat Noir,” she’d murmured before dancing off into the darkness.

Not for the first time, he found himself cursing his rotten luck.

* * *

Chat Noir was growing restless, his actions bordering on reckless, determined as he was for the tiniest scrap of her attention.

Battle after battle, he pushed himself to his own limits, fighting even harder. He threw himself in front of more hits. He didn’t shy away, not from one single Akuma. 

The boxer Akuma that they were currently facing seemed more than willing to accommodate.

Chat Noir snarled at the Akuma, claws curling at the ready. He would protect Ladybug that much more fiercely. He wouldn’t give her any more reason to let her be frightened of him.

Even if it meant abandoning his ill-fated hopes of a romance with his Lady, he just wanted her to be his friend again. To continue to fight at her side.

He could be satisfied with that. Somehow.

Risking a glance at her for only a second, he’d caught her nod back at him. Her gaze didn’t dart away.

She had even smiled at him, before her eyes widened, suddenly terrified. 

He hadn’t seen the attack until it was too late. The Akuma knocked the baton from his grip and while his balance was unsettled knocking him back off the hotel’s roof.

“Chat Noir!”

He relaxed his muscles, giving over to the inevitable as the familiar rush of air hit him. The Akuma was watching him fall, giving Ladybug the advantage to take him out.

It would be enough. It would keep her safe.

He exhaled and waited for the pavement to come. After all, it was hard to fall harder, when he had already fallen for her so long ago.


	2. Chapter 2

It was an accident.

She hadn’t meant to kiss him. Not really.

Her fingers strayed to her lips, trying not to focus on the rather surprising feel of loss after the desperate, fleeting contact.

Ladybug inhaled, closing her eyes. It was just the tide of emotion, the sheer terror of watching Chat Noir fall.

* * *

Ladybug had barely gotten into position in the nick of time.

The distance was much too high, his descent was far too fast. He had been far too reckless, and she’d have only one opportunity to catch him. This one chance meant far too much.

She could let herself think about it. She didn’t dare.

When she thought, she got caught up in her thoughts. And she, really, truly couldn’t bear the thought of losing him.

_Please._

She aimed, clearing her mind and letting the Ladybug confidence take over.

_Please catch him._

Her eyes following the shot, her lip worried something awful at the realization that the slightest bit more wind might have made all the difference between catching him and not.

_Please let him be safe._

She didn’t breathe until after she’d snagged him from the air, as he’d swung safely to a stop.

And it was as if the dam had broken loose. She’d wanted to hug him. To shout at him for all his recklessness.

But she was practically shaking, her words failing her as his lips curved up at her.

Hadn’t he realized what a near thing it had been? It could have all gone wrong in so many ways. Would have gone wrong if she had doubted her powers for even one more instant.

It was like she’d used every scrap of Ladybug confidence on that throw that had saved him, leaving her just with her own woefully inadequate self-confidence.

She still wasn’t even sure how it had happened, aside from her moving forward. She certainly hadn’t planned to kiss him. She had just closed the distance between them, gasping in relief.

In that moment it had felt right…maybe even necessary. She wasn’t sure what she would have done if she’d lost her partner. She couldn’t even imagine trying to handle any of this without him.

She wasn’t even sure what her life would be like without him in it.

When she’d pulled away, he had looked nearly as shocked as she felt.

At least now she wasn’t panicking because she feared she was going to lose him.

Her words -- her confidence -- had abandoned her entirely.

She would have to deal with it later. Her partner was safe for now.

And she did still have a butterfly to catch.

* * *

It had been days since it happened, and she really wasn’t sleeping well.

Visions of Chat falling to his demise were haunting her nightmares, with her helpless to do anything but watch. She would wake up gasping, a sticky sheen of sweat, matting her bangs to her forehead, her pigtails to her neck.

When she fell back into a fitful sleep, her mind would wander to the smell of leather and night. His warmth. The unexpectedly softness of his cheek.

The shock in his glowing emerald eyes, that melted into something warm and sweet. Pure curiosity pinned her in place, so she couldn’t chase after butterflies. Not this time, while in the safety of her dreams.

At least she could sleep a little; but when she did wake up, she was feeling extremely guilty.

After all, Chat wasn’t who she was supposed to like. He wasn’t who she was supposed to kiss.

She felt distinctly unfaithful. Not that she could really find her courage to tell Adrien she liked him. Not that she could explain to Chat what was going through her own head. Not when she wasn’t even sure she’d understood that herself.

Tikki had tried to help her work through everything in her head, but she kept spinning her wheels. It still confused her greatly how she had managed to talk it through, but even that hadn’t been helping. She just wasn’t sure what she’d wanted.

That just made her feel even more selfish.

* * *

It was one thing to try to pretend nothing had happened in the heat of battle, but once the pressure of battle had ended, tension had rushed in, filling up the void.

She needed to talk to him...and soon. She wouldn’t stop hearing about it from Tikki. But what exactly was she supposed to say?

“Hey? Sorry for kissing your cheek. I don’t seem to understand my limits?”

“Sorry for confusing you. I’m not even sure what I want, and I’m amazed you still even want to be friends with me. Let’s not even get into the fact that I can’t act on my crazy crush.”

“I’m just glad you’re alive.  I was worried about you.”

He had leaned closer, extending his hand to her like an olive branch in the wake of a particularly long battle, giving her the chance to tell him something.

Anything.

But it seemed like just being Ladybug had exhausted her reserves of confidence.

Ladybug bit her lip. It was killing her to see him so sad...when she was so clearly the cause. It wasn’t fair to him, but her mind was no closer to giving him any sort of meaningful answer.

The hurt was naked in his eyes, as his gloves strayed to the back of his neck.

“I…” Her eyes locked with him, but the words wouldn’t come.

Ladybug winced and turned on her heel to head home. She didn’t want to leave, but their time was already limited.

“Goodnight, Chat Noir,” she whispered, swinging away.

She still didn’t have a good answer for him. But she was going to have to figure it out soon.

* * *

Ladybug grit her teeth, tossing her yo-yo at the boxer Akuma. Tikki was right. She had left it too late.

Days had passed. She still wasn’t any more certain of her feelings or her hopes for a path forward.

But her Chaton had grown tired of waiting. He was reckless, even more so than he had been on that fateful day not even a week ago now. He wasn’t waiting for signals and plans.

Chat Noir snarled at the Akuma, claws extended as he leapt forward to attack.

Troubled, she’d watched him, scanning for her opportunity to strike.

The Akuma had thrown him back and Chat was back on his feet in an instant, eyes narrowed and claws curled.

She’d caught his gaze for just a second. She allowed herself to smile. Just that simple act meant it was far more likely for them to fall back into their usual rhythm.

He was watching her. Waiting for her.

If she was being honest, that alone left her a little breathless.

Her eyes flashed as she’d registered the rogue motion a split second too late, the Akuma throwing the baton across the roof and knocking him down the roof.

“Chat Noir!”

This time, she didn’t even hesitate, the yo-yo spiraling out of her hand to catch him. Ladybug threw her own weight off as a counterbalance, hooking the string over a steady looking beam on the way down.

Ladybug dropped in pendular motion, still swinging as he’d come to a sudden halt tangling them both together in her yo-yo string. He dangled up by one foot and her right-side up, their heights uneven but their faces were mere inches apart Just enough to make it easy to talk to him if she felt so inclined.

And perhaps even if she didn’t. It had been far too difficult trying to find the right words. Not with him staring back at her, lips parted.

Her gaze darted back up along the rooftop, scanning for some sign of the Akuma to jump down. It seemed the Akuma thought better than to take the shortcut they had.

Dragging in a ragged breath, her hand cupped his cheek, tilting his lips down just enough to reach to hers.

It had only been a few seconds. That was all the time that she would dare with an Akuma still running loose. Time still felt like it was slowed.

“Wow.” His green eyes were wide, blinking as he pushed away just enough to meet her eyes. They never left her own, never marking the blush on her cheeks that was surely bright enough to match his own. “Ummm...Was that an accident?”

Ladybug hesitated, considering only for a moment. She smirked, tapping a gloved finger to his lips. “Not this time, Chaton.”

His grin was slow, his eyes dangerously soft. “I’m glad.”

Closing her eyes, Ladybug pressed her forehead to his. “But, really. You can’t be so reckless, especially if the middle of battles. I hate when I have to worry about you like this…”

Chat Noir’s grin widened, eyebrows waggling. “If you wanted a captive audience, all you had to do was ask, my Lady.”

Ladybug’s eyes narrowed. Shaking her heard wearily, she heaved a heavy sigh, snapping the yo-yo back and letting him drop the final few feet to the ground. Her hands fell to her hips. They still had an Akuma to capture. Perhaps her partner would settle down and be a bit more serious later.

The surprisingly tender smile had never left his face, even as he’d rubbed his head, righting himself at her side.

Then again, she mused as her lips curled up slightly, he probably wouldn’t.

She knew him far too well.


	3. Chapter 3

Chat Noir, ever the romantic, leaned against one of the few shadowed beams. It was a lovely night, hardly a cloud in the sky to obscure the nearly full moon above basking the night in pale glow, the chill of the evening sapping away the heat of the day. 

It was a perfect night to stargaze, but that was hardly as enjoyable while he was on his own.

Chat sighed, tapping his claws against the ancient iron. He certainly hadn’t intended to stay out this late -- not without company.

He was supposed to be getting up early for a photoshoot. Not that he would tell her that. He would try to make up sleep in the car ride over first.

His lady only had to ask and he was here -- with _bells_ on.

He grinned into the darkness, hoping she would get here soon. 

Puns were never nearly as fun when Ladybug would groan and roll her eyes. 

She would not quite bother to hide the ghost of a smirk in those bluebell eyes, the curve of her lips. When he was sure he was particularly clever, she would sometimes even tap on his bell as she strode past, spurring him onward to be more serious.

She knew he was watching. She had to know he would see how long that little smile would linger, no matter how long she would shake her head and feign irritation. 

Rolling his shoulders, Chat Noir stretched his muscles and shifting in place along the length of the beam.

His ears were perked, his eyes darting around in the limit of his view.

He was sure she would be here soon.

And he would be ready for her.

* * *

He didn’t have to wait long.

Ladybug split through the night, like a crimson avenging angel, swinging onto the same platform with just enough upward lift to slow her momentum as she’d landed on the deck.

Her eyes were scouring the platform for any sign of him.

Chat Noir exhaled, baton already in hand, rapidly lifting himself up into the beams above.

 

“Ugh,” she grumbled from far below, spinning her yo-yo up to latch onto a beam near to where he was headed. “Why won’t you hold still?”

Chat was never more pleased to have the ability to see in very low light. He grinned, noting that her lips curved despite the irritation in her voice. “Where is the fun in that?” 

* * *

Ladybug huffed as she’d hit the same level.

Homework had taken far too long, leaving her a bit too tired for a normal patrol. She wanted to train today, and there was no way she’d manage to be out so late otherwise.

That didn’t mean she wanted to spend the whole span of the hour chasing her kitten back and forth across the tower.

Glowing green eyes peered back at her from across the way, daring her to pursue. She was never more thankful for Tikki’s seemingly boundless energy. 

* * *

Ladybug’s blue eyes flashed in vexation, her yo-yo snapping across the chasm to the beam beside him.

He was tempted -- sorely tempted -- not to run.

Chat almost left it a beat too long before propelling himself higher again.

She stomped, in an adorable fit of pique as she righted herself on the girder where he had just been standing. Her eyes had narrowed just enough for him to tell. “I will get you, Chat Noir.”

He chuckled, turning his focus back up to the observatory above. They were practically there. 

“I look forward to that, my Lady.”

* * *

Frustration had spurred Ladybug on faster, her mind trusting her muscle memory more and fearing the potential fall somewhat less than normal. 

Chat Noir was rapidly losing ground to run away. Nearly as fast as she was losing patience.

Ladybug feinted a move in a direction, delighted as Chat moved to counter it. 

His eyes has widened in shock when she’d immediately reversed, catching her yo-yo thread around his ankle, and swinging him to a slow stop the beam beside her just beneath the observation deck.

She had closed the distance between them as he’d righted himself, grinning as glowing green blinked back at her in return. 

Chat Noir took a half step away, backing him into the beam.

Her lips curved up she’d slanted her lips up to meet his, pressing him back against the beam as she’d balanced on her toes.

Chat groaned into her mouth, when her fingers slid up, threading into his hair.

* * *

He’d groaned even louder a full minute later, when she’d pulled away.

His claws settled on her shoulders to steady her. His own legs were a little shaky and -- powers or no powers -- they were well over 200 meters up off the ground.

Mirth danced in her eyes, as she brushed her lips softly against his cheek. “I told you I’d catch you, Chaton.”

He hadn’t even seen her grabbing for her yo-yo. Not until she slid out from under his fingertips with a saucy wink, swinging back to the beams below.

His claws itched, as he beamed ear to ear. Chat Noir could reach his baton fast enough.

**Author's Note:**

> You can follow me on [Tumblr](http://overworkedunderwhelmed.tumblr.com/).
> 
> Feedback of all forms and re-blogs of the [Tumblr post](http://overworkedunderwhelmed.tumblr.com/post/163197295189/ladynoir-july-day-19-eiffel-tower) are greatly appreciated! [Note that the link is for final chapter, so please read all chapters first if you'd like to avoid spoilers.]


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